VIDEO UPDATE: Intense Microburst/Tornadic-Like Winds Hit ELB's Artcraft Manor Neighborhood; Wires And Trees Downed In Multiple Parts of LB

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(February 2, 2019, updated 4:40 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.) -- Intense rain and winds toppled trees and downed wires in multiple parts of Long Beach today. A microburst or tornadic-like winds hit ELB's Artcraft Manor neighborhood (between Willow and Stearns Sts., west of Clark Ave. and across Lakewood Blvd.), reported by a number of residents. Several displayed photos on social media showing multiple trees down.

One person may have captured the microburst or tornadic-type wind on video, a pseudonymous individual ("Superflye") who indicates the location is in the area of Clark/Willow.

There's corroboration of the intense wind event via the Nat'l Weather Service monitor at LB Airport (monitor visible just north of Spring St., a bit west of Lakewood Blvd.), located not far from the Artcraft Manor neighborhood. The NWS monitor at LGB recorded sustained winds in the upper teens approaching 20 mph in the 10 a.m. hour until sustained winds suddenly jumped to 28 mph with a gust recorded at 37 mph at 11:06 a.m. Winds then continued in the roughly 20 mph range with gusts into the low to mid 30 mph range with one gust reaching 35 mph at 12:04 p.m. and another hitting 30 mph at 12:22 p.m. The time stamp on the YouTube video is 12:19 p.m.

It wouldn't be the first time part of ELB has been hit by tornadic-like winds. LBREPORT.com archival coverage (with photos) shows what occurred in the south of Conant area on Dec. 29, 2005 at this link.. [LBREPORT.com is now in our 19th year of providing independent news online.]

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Today's winds weren't isolated to one area. Wires were reported down all over town (too numerous to list individually) stretching from NLB to near the shore to downtown to Wrigley to ELB.

Long Beach received nearly an inch of rain within six hours. Between 9:53 a.m. and 3:53 p.m. Feb. 2, 0.96" of rain were recorded by the Nat'l Weather Service moniitor at LB Airport (just north of Spring St., west of Lakewood Blvd.) 0.57" fell within three hours between 9:53 a.m. and 12:53 p.m.

Adriana Brava posted a photo by her son, Nathan Brava-Partain on the Wrigley Neighborhood Group Facebook page (photo used with permission) showing what happens when rain soaked land plus gravity sent a tree onto a vehicle in the area of 28th St./Pacific Ave.

Area 28th St./Pacific. Photo credit: Nathan Brava-Partain (IG page @mildly_decent_photographer)

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If it was a small tornado, it wouldn't be the first time for ELB. On December 29, 2004, a small tornado apparently came through part of ELB. LBREPORT.com archival coverage here. [LBREPORT.com is now in our 19th year of providing independent news online in Long Beach.]

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